LOOKING BACK | BY GEORGE ALBANO
The Pastimes completed an exciting run to the Norwalk Recreation Adult Touch Football League city championship with a stunning 20-12 victory over highly favored four-time champion Damato Landscaping on Sunday morning at Norwalk High’s Sam Testa Field. Damato broke a scoreless deadlock late in the second half on a 70-yard touchdown run by quarterback Mike Abate. But with one play left in the game, Pastimes QB Justin Floody threw a 65-yard bomb to Demont Battle for the tying TD. The extra-point attempt failed and the teams headed for overtime. Both clubs scored in the first OT as Abate hit Bobby Trimboli and Floody connected with Jesse Butler for touchdowns. Neither team made the two-point conversion. On the first play of the second overtime, Floody fired a TD pass to Abe Prior and the two-point conversion pass to Brian Davis for a 20-12 lead. Damato had a chance to send it into a third OT, but Battle picked off his second interception of the game to clinch the title.
The Brien McMahon boys basketball team tipped off its season with back-to-back victories as the Senators beat Fairfield-Ludlowe 62-55 and Stamford 44-40. Tyler Shular scored 15 points in the opening-night win while Takar Smalls, a 6-3 senior transfer from Trinity Catholic, added 12 points, nine rebounds and five steals in his BMHS debut ... In the win over Stamford, T.J. McCrae sparked the Senators with 13 points.
As the girls basketball season entered its second week, Norwalk and McMahon both improved to 2-1 with victories. The Bears beat Westhill 51-34 behind sophomore
Emma Oyomba, who had 19 points, a career-high 18 rebounds and five blocks ... McMahon knocked off Ludlowe 49-42 as
Rachel Sawyer scored 14 points,
Brittany Brim added 12 points and six steals, and freshman
Jasmin Taylor had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
25 YEARS AGO
The local high school boys basketball season got underway with Norwalk High and Brien McMahon each winning close non-league openers. The Bears led Hamden by 17 points in the first half, but had to withstand a furious second-half rally before registering a 72-69 win. Paco Fabian led the defending FCIAC champions with 16 points while TJ Trimboli scored 15, Keith Sellers added 12 points and 15 rebounds, and Zack Wrentz had 10 points and 19 rebounds.
Meanwhile, McMahon nipped Wilbur Cross 68-67 as J.R. Jenkins sank a clutch free throw with eight second remaining to snap a 67-67 tie. Mike Little, the Senators’ 6-8 senior captain, scored 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds while Anthony Wiggins added 15 points, including 8-for-8 from the foul line.
The girls basketball season opened last week and Norwalk High improved to 2-1 with a 46-37 win over Stamford as Kelly Walsh topped the Lady Bears with 17 points.
The Brien McMahon hockey team opened its season with a 4-2 non-league win over Immaculate. Chris Leglia scored two goals and assisted on a third while Jeremey Salley had a goal and three assists and Ben Davies netted the other goal. Freshman goalie Jason Combis made 28 saves.
Three members of the McMahon girls field hockey team were named to the All-FCIAC first team, as three-year starting goalie Michelle Audet, Danyel Mosely and Michelle Sabsels were all recognized. Teammates Robin Adamcik and JoJo Voss made the All-Eastern Division team while Natalie DiCostanzo of Norwalk High was named AllWest.
50 YEARS AGO
Local basketball fans were treated to an early-season intracity clash as Norwalk and Brien McMahon met in front of a sellout crowd at the NHS gym. The FCIAC contest was the season opener for the Bears while the Senators were playing their second game after falling to Kolbe in their non-league debut, but bounced back to beat their crosstown rivals 81-72. Gary Lawrence scored 24 points and Greg Rudomanski added 20 for McMahon, which built a 24-point lead in the first half and led 62-46 after three quarters. But behind Sammy Miller, who scored 11 straight points in the final period, Norwalk cut the lead to nine before McMahon sealed the victory. Miller led all scorers with 29 points despite picking up three fouls in the first quarter and sitting out the entire second period. Lavelle Rowser added 16 points for the home team.
The city’s other high school, Central Catholic, upped its record to 2-0 with a 71-54 road win against Bethel. Bob Kramer was again the Cavaliers’ top scorer with 24 points, including 12 in the second quarter when the Norwalkers, who trailed by seven after one period, surged to an 18-point halftime lead. Mike Porter and John Fullam each finished with 12 points.
The Home Oilers semipro hockey team broke open a close game with five third-period goals to beat the Niagara Falls Pumpers 9-4. Bobby Veilleux had two goals and three assists while Don Atamanchuk also scored twice with a pair of assists. Norwalk resident Mark Burns, the 22 year-old former Ivy League goalie at Brown, made 31 saves ... Meanwhile, the Crystal Comets outskated the New Britain Frontenacs 10-3 at Crystal Rink as Guy Rousseau, Mickey Kalinsky
Fred Sapier